The English and Scottish popular ballads, volume 3 (of 5)

In Short

This monumental compilation gathers the primary verse narratives of English and Scottish popular tradition, preserving the oral culture of the medieval and early modern borders. The collection moves systematically through outlaw legends, romantic rivalries, royal intrigues, and deadly cross-border raids. The narratives range from the extensive forest adventures of Robin Hood and his band in Bernsdale to tragic accounts of court execution, noble betrayal, and daring prison rescues along the Anglo-Scottish frontier. Through meticulous comparative commentary, the work examines how these stories travelled across European folk traditions, comparing English variants with Scandinavian, German, and Slavic parallels. It captures a lost world of greenwood chivalry, violent feuds, and communal song. The collection has endured because it captures the authentic voice of popular storytelling—raw, rhythmic, and unvarnished by literary artifice. It serves both as an essential scholarly record of folk literature and as a vivid portrait of agrarian and border societies struggling against tyranny, law, and fate.

The Story

The narrative landscape opens deep in the greenwood of Bernsdale and Sherwood, where the legendary outlaw Robin Hood establishes a unique code of forest justice. Standing beneath his trysting tree alongside Little John, Scathelock, and Much the miller's son, Robin refuses to dine until his men bring a guest to his table. His rule is strict yet benevolent: while wealthy bishops, archbishops, and the proud High Sheriff of Nottingham are to be bound, beaten, and robbed, no honest husbandman tilling the soil or friendly yeoman is ever to be harmed. Through a sequence of encounters, Robin trades blows and disguises with butchers, tanners, and beggars. When a local butcher attacks Robin's sword with a cut-tailed dog, Robin slays the hound and buys the butcher's meat, selling it in Nottingham at pennies on the pound to outsmart the local merchants and infiltrate the Sheriff’s inner circle.

The forest world expands as new companions join the merry band. Little John enters the fellowship after a fierce duel, earning his ironic moniker at a greenwood christening where the outlaws clothe him in green and hand him a bow to target the purses of wealthy prelates. Romantic encounters also shape the forest lore, as seen when Robin meets the shepherdess Clorinda in Sherwood. Dressed in grass-green velvet with a bow at her side, she proves her arching prowess by shooting the fattest buck in a herd of two hundred, prompting an immediate proposal and a feast of hot venison and clouted cream. Yet the greenwood is never entirely free from mortal danger. In the tales of William of Cloudesly, Adam Bell, and Clim of the Clough, outlaws face the wrath of the crown. When Young William slays a rival suitor and four forest keepers in a bloody two-hour battle to win fair Cisley, his comrades appeal to the king for mercy. Upon being denied, William offers to perform the ultimate display of marksmanship, successfully shooting an apple off his young son's head at a vast distance to secure his pardon.

Beyond the forest, the narrative shifts to historical tragedies, royal betrayals, and border warfare. Darker tales emerge, such as the murder of young Hugh of Lincoln, whose body is thrown into a well, prompting widespread grief and violent retribution against the city's Jewish population. Royal courts prove equally perilous. Queen Eleanor makes a deathbed confession to two disguise-wearing friars, revealing secret infidelities that outrage the listening king. In France, the English champion Spencer performs feats of strength before King Charles, shattering lances and slaying hundreds of guardsmen when the French king reneges on his word, forcing Charles to plead for peace.

The setting then shifts to the northern frontier, where the perpetual conflict between English and Scottish marchers erupts into bloodshed. At the Battle of Otterburn, Sir Henry Percy (Hotspur) meets Earl Douglas on the field. Refusing to flee lest his manhood be questioned by a Scot, Percy engages Douglas in a duel so fierce that sweat turns to blood running from their helmets, culminating in Douglas's death. The border ballads portray an ongoing cycle of reiving, cattle-lifting, and summary justice. In the Scottish court, Marie Hamilton faces the gallows after drowning the infant fathered by the king, walking up the Tolbooth stairs in quiet tragedy while townswomen weep for her.

Meanwhile, bold rescues interrupt the cycle of executions. When Kinmont Willie is captured against border law and dragged to Carlisle Castle, the Lord of Buccleuch vows to tear down the fortress rather than suffer the insult. Crossing the river, his men breach the prison and carry Willie away, fetters and all, mocking Lord Scroope from the opposite bank. Similarly, in the tale of Archie o Field, Johnny Ha ventures into the sheriff's stronghold to free his imprisoned brother Dick. Carrying Dick and fifty tons of iron on his back, Johnny braves the roaring Annan water, swapping his horse with his panicked brother to ensure everyone crosses safely. The volume closes as outlaws, noblemen, and tragic heroines face their fates with defiance, leaving their stories etched into border tradition.

How It Unfolds

The greenwood gathering Robin Hood refuses to eat his dinner in Bernsdale until his men bring a noble guest or stranger to his table, establishing his law that poor tillers of the earth must be spared while corrupt churchmen and the Sheriff of Nottingham are plundered.

The butcher's market After killing a butcher's aggressor dog in the forest, Robin buys the butcher's cart, travels to Nottingham, and undercuts every merchant in town by selling meat for pennies, winning the favor of the Sheriff's wife.

The christening of Little John A seven-foot tall newcomer fights Robin Hood to a standstill on a bridge, leading to a merry christening where the outlaws dress the giant in forest green, rename him Little John, and welcome him to their company.

The archery challenge To win a royal pardon for young William after a fatal forest skirmish, William of Cloudesly voluntarily places an apple upon his six-year-old son's head and splits it with an arrow at a great distance, proving his peerless skill.

The murder of young Hugh In Lincoln, a young boy is stolen away and slain, his body cast into a deep well, sparking a city-wide investigation that ends in the execution of eighteen suspects and the devotion of local mourners.

The queen's deathbed shriving King Henry disguises himself as a friar to hear the deathbed confession of Queen Eleanor, listening in horror as she reveals past infidelities and secret hatreds before her royal husband reveals his true identity.

The tournament of Spencer An English knight named Spencer challenges the French court, breaking lances, riding down his opponents, and slaying hundreds of the king's royal guard when a treachery threatens his life.

The clash at Otterburn Earl Douglas and Sir Henry Percy clash on the battlefield, engaging in a relentless sword duel that leaves Douglas dead upon the ground while Percy swears never to yield to a Scottish adversary.

The execution of Marie Hamilton A lady-in-waiting to the Scottish queen faces the gallows in Edinburgh for the death of her newborn child, bidding a sorrowful farewell to the weeping ladies and townswomen as she mounts the scaffold steps.

The rescue of Kinmont Willie When English guards seize Kinmont Willie in violation of a border truce, the Lord of Buccleuch leads a raid on Carlisle Castle, breaking through the walls to carry the heavily ironed prisoner to freedom across the river.

The escape across Annan water Johnny Ha breaks open a stone prison to liberate his brother Dick, carrying him and his heavy iron shackles through the roaring torrents of the river Annan while mocking the pursuing sheriff from the bank.

The People

Robin Hood The famous outlaw leader of Bernsdale and Sherwood Forest. He desires a life of greenwood freedom and rough justice, stealing from rich prelates while protecting humble plowmen and pious women. Stood in his way are the Sheriff of Nottingham and the royal authorities, but Robin consistently outwits them through sharp archery, quick-witted disguises, and the unyielding loyalty of his merry men.

Little John Robin Hood’s towering right-hand man, standing seven feet tall and a yard wide at the waist. He seeks hearty fellowship, good sport, and rich plunder from corrupt churchmen. Despite his intimidating size, he remains a humorous, fiercely loyal lieutenant who receives his famous name during a playful greenwood christening.

William of Cloudesly A master outlaw archer who seeks a royal pardon for himself and his comrades after a string of violent confrontations with woodland keepers. Standing between him and his freedom is the King's death sentence, which William overcomes by demonstrating his extraordinary skill, voluntarily shooting an apple off his own young son's head.

Sir Henry Percy (Hotspur) A proud, unyielding English knight who craves martial honor and victory on the battlefield. When confronted by the Scottish force at Otterburn, his personal pride and fear of being labeled a coward prevent him from retreating, driving him to fight Earl Douglas in a brutal, hand-to-hand duel.

Earl Douglas The formidable leader of the Scottish forces at Otterburn. He seeks to defeat the English army and prove the dominance of his border marchers. His ambition is cut short when he engages Percy in single combat, falling mortally wounded on the field.

Marie Hamilton A tragic lady-in-waiting in the Scottish court. Caught in the fallout of a secret affair with the King and the death of her newborn infant, she faces the unyielding moral and legal judgment of the Queen. She walks to her execution at the Netherbow Port with quiet, sorrowful resignation.

Kinmont Willie (William Armstrong) A notorious Scottish border reiver. He wants nothing more than to continue his life along the frontier, but he is unlawfully captured during a truce and locked in Carlisle Castle by Lord Scroope. He is saved from the gallows by the daring night raid of the Lord of Buccleuch.

Johnny Ha A brave and blunt Scottish borderer who desires the freedom of his imprisoned brother, Dick o Cafield. Facing stone walls, iron shackles, and a roaring river, Johnny fearlessly smashes the jail doors and trades horses in mid-stream to ensure his brother's survival.

In Its Own Voice

When Robin Hood sets out to establish his authority over the surrounding countryside, he gives explicit instructions to his closest follower regarding who may be targeted and who must remain unharmed.

"‘No more ye shall no gode yeman / That walketh by grenë-wode shawe; / Ne no knyght ne no squyer / That wol be a gode felawe.’"

Before engaging in mortal combat at the Battle of Otterburn, Sir Henry Percy makes a solemn vow to his men, refusing to retreat despite the overwhelming odds against his forces.

"‘Euery man thynke on hys trewe-love, / And marke hym to the Trenite; / For to God I make myne avowe / Thys day wyll I not flee.’"

As Marie Hamilton approaches the foot of the gallows in Edinburgh, she reflects upon her tragic fate and addresses the mourning crowd gathered along the street.

"‘Sae, weep na mair for me, ladies, / Weep na mair for me; / The mither that kills her ain bairn / Deserves weel for to dee.’"

What It's Really About

At its core, this volume explores the tension between formal legal authority and popular concepts of justice. The outlaws of Sherwood and the border reivers of the Scottish Marches operate in spaces where the law of the crown is experienced not as fairness, but as oppressive overreach. In response, the ballads construct an idealized alternate morality: Robin Hood robs rich bishops because they exploit the poor, while the Lord of Buccleuch breaks into Carlisle Castle because the English warden violated a sacred border truce. Justice in these songs is personal, immediate, and bound by folk codes of honor rather than royal statutes.

The text also wrestles with the theme of individual bravery in the face of inevitable mortality. Whether it is William of Cloudesly risking his son’s life to prove his skill, Hotspur refusing to retreat at Otterburn to preserve his reputation, or Marie Hamilton walking to the gallows, these figures are driven by a desire to control their own posture in moments of extreme crisis. Stoicism and swagger become the ultimate defenses against tyranny, execution, and war.

Finally, the collection acts as a repository of cultural memory, reflecting how historical conflicts—such as Anglo-Scottish border warfare—were digested, sensationalized, and preserved by ordinary people. Through communal verse, historical figures are transformed into mythic archetypes, allowing agrarian and border communities to celebrate survival, mock authority, and mourn tragedy through shared song.

Why Read It Today

Readers drawn to folklore, medieval history, border history, or the origins of English literature will find this volume deeply rewarding. Reading it feels like sitting near a hearth in a medieval tavern or listening to a singer on a dusty border road; the rhythms are driving, the humor is sharp, and the violence is swift and unvarnished. Unlike modern polished retellings, these texts offer the authentic, unedited voices of early English and Scottish popular culture, preserved with all their original vigor.

The experience, however, requires patience with several textual hurdles. The book presents verse in middle and early modern English, as well as broad Lowland Scots dialect, complete with archaic spellings, regional vocabulary, and irregular stanzas. Furthermore, as an academic edition, the text includes extensive apparatus—variant readings, manuscript notes, and comparative essays in German, Scandinavian, and French folklore—which can slow down a casual reader looking purely for narrative momentum. The volume also reflects the grim, sometimes brutal realities of its time, incorporating period prejudices, casual violence, and tragic executions that are presented without modern framing.

What stays with the reader long after finishing is the sheer vitality of the characters and the unforgettable cadence of the verse. Lines describing the greenwood in May, the clashing of steel at Otterburn, or the roaring waters of the river Annan possess a raw poetic power that modern prose rarely replicates. The book serves as a powerful reminder of how human beings have always used story and song to resist oppression, process communal grief, and celebrate the untamed spirit of the outlaw.